The Lay of Elwing
by Elwing-Evenstar
Summary: Though Elwing's fame is oft outsung by her beloved Mariner's, his light may not now grace the skies if not for bravery of her.


Beside the sea in Sirion  
There lived Elwing the elven-fair,  
Born of the son of Lúthien,  
Beloved of the Mariner.  
She dwelt for long in peace and joy  
With Silmaril in treasury,  
But all the sons of Fëanor  
Cast shadows of their treachery.  
They came as thieves in dark of night  
With helms and shields and arms of war,  
And slew the People of the Seas  
As they had done in Valinor.  
Swift was that war, and high its cost,  
For many Eldar there were slain  
Or taken captive by the sons  
Of Fëanor amid the fray.  
But Elwing fled by hidden paths  
To sea-cliffs carven high and steep:  
The Silmaril about her throat,  
She cast herself into the deeps.

The waters roared amid the winds,  
And Ossë laughed and played upon  
The frothy waves, while far below  
All hope seemed lost, and Elwing gone.  
But Ulmo came to where she drowned  
And bore her up above the waves  
On strong swan-wings: thence she embarked  
Upon a journey long and brave.  
Across the stormy heavens rent  
By tempest-winds and fiery light  
She soared above the heaving seas  
On wings of silver-grey and white.  
The Silmaril still shone on her  
As swift she flew upon the gale,  
And soon saw _Vingilot_ below,  
Her sails and banners shining pale.  
Upon the deck of timbers white  
She fell, and landed in a swoon;  
Soon Eärendil met her there,  
Himself as pale as ray of moon.

The Silmaril, upon her still,  
Strewed dazzling light upon her wings,  
Spread out on either side of her  
As she lay still and quivering.  
Then Eärendil took her up,  
Holding her gently to his breast.  
He laid her down, and him beside:  
For long they lay in silent rest.  
But in the shadows as they slept  
She lost her wings of white and grey,  
And soon again in elven-form  
In Eärendil's arms she lay.  
Then Eärendil woke and saw  
Her arms about him, and her hair  
Wind-strewn across her face and his,  
And she again the elven-fair.  
The Silmaril in _mithril_ set  
With other gems of lesser worth  
Still glittered at her throat, as fair  
As some clear star cast to the earth.

Their prow they turned toward the West,  
And as the day broke at their hind  
They sped along the sweeping seas,  
The Blessed Realm and hope to find.  
With Silmaril as lantern-light  
Which blazed upon their silver sails,  
They crossed the mighty seas in hope  
That by that light they could prevail.  
They passed beyond enchanted isles  
Of shadows and of sleeping-spells  
That Irmo set in ages past  
So Valinor was shrouded well.  
And on beyond the gloomy seas  
They passed, as none had come before,  
Until they saw the looming peaks  
Of Pelóri in Valinor.  
Then Eärendil walked ashore,  
But Elwing leapt into the foam  
And followed, for her love of him,  
To roam wherever he would roam.

He bade her stay and wait for him,  
And went alone to Tirion.  
The pathless moon shone high above,  
As silver as Telperion.  
Among the folk of Alqualond  
Elwing resided by the sea.  
And she, though of the Exiles' kin,  
Was welcomed by the Teleri.  
She told them tales of wonders lost  
From Doriath and Gondolin,  
And of the sack of Sirion,  
Where kin had spilled the blood of kin.  
So Eärendil found her there  
As he returned from errantry,  
Where he had moved the Valar's hearts  
To hear his woes and aid his plea  
For pity on the Eastern lands,  
And on the folk who suffered there,  
The selfsame anguish to endure  
Though later fate they could not share.

Then Manwë's summons came again,  
And both were called to Eldamar;  
They wandered far through Tirion  
And came before the fair Valar.  
There Manwë gave a choice to them  
To live the elven span of years,  
Or swiftly fade as mortals do:  
But none could say, in joy or fear?  
In memory of Lúthien  
Did Elwing choose immortal life,  
And Eärendil chose the same,  
Although his heart was filled with strife.  
So were they judged, and was their fate  
Decreed, to live for ages long;  
Then doom fell on the Mariner  
As has been told in tale and song.  
His ship was borne through Gates of Night  
As he stood valiant at her prow,  
To bear the Flame of Westernesse  
That gleamed in _mithril_ on his brow.

He sailed the starry skies alone,  
Where Elwing's heart could not abide,  
And so the Valar built for her  
A tower high and white beside  
The eastern shore. There long she dwelt,  
And sea-birds came by day and night:  
They taught her all their languages,  
And she learned too the craft of flight.  
And often at the fall of night  
Or at the breaking of the day  
She flew to meet Eärendil  
On regained wings of white and grey.  
'Tis said and sung she dwells there still  
Beside the sea in Eldamar,  
To journey nevermore again  
Back to the lands where mortals are.  
And though her fame is oft outsung  
By her beloved Mariner's,  
His light may not now grace the skies  
If not for bravery of her.


End file.
